Friction-clutch



(No Model.)

A. W. ROBINSON.

FRICTION CLUTCH.

No. 465,536. Patented Dec. 22, 1891.

WITNESSE ARTHUR WV. ROBINSON, OF BUOYRU S, OIlIO.

FRlCTlON-CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,536, dated December 22 1891 Application filed $eptember 24, 1891. Serial No. 406,748. (No model.)

To an whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. Ronrnson, of Bueyrus, in the county of Crawford, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Friction-Clutches Operated by Steam; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the .same, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in whicl Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the arrangement of the parts as mounted on a shaft. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, the shaft and sliding bar being sectioned on the line of the front of the connecting-bar. Fig. 3 is a detail end View showing the parts employed for transmitting the motion, as hereinafter described, the sliding bar being cross-sectioned on a line at the front of the connecting-bar. Fig. t is a detail of the parts shown in Fig. 3, taken at right angles thereto.

The first part of my invention relates to the means employed to convert motion along the axis of the shaft into rectilinear motion at right angles to the axis of the shaft or radially to a wheel mounted thereon, for the purpose of operating the friction-belt in such manner that the parts required to produce the end motion along the axis of the shaft shall not occupy any extra space thereon, as is ordinarily the case, and also in such manner that I may employ a pair of toggles to operate the friction-belt.

The second part of my invention relates to the manner of arranging a pair of toggles upon the rim of the wheel in such manner that the power applied to them is substantially uniform throughout the operation, while the resistance of the belt increases as it is applied.

In the drawings, Ais the shaft upon which the entire apparatus is mounted.

B is a bearing for the support of one end of the shaft, the other end not being shown.

C is a hole extending through the center of the shaft for the purpose of containing the sliding bar D.

E is a spur-wheel or a pulley keyed. upon the shaft, and to which the power is applied by means of a pinion engaging with it or in any other suitable way.

In the drawings a portion only of the teeth of the spur-wheel E are shown. At or near the rim of the spur'wheel E are three lugs F G H, having holes through them for the reception of steel pins or axes, upon which certain parts are pivoted or mounted, as hereinafter explained.

K and L are two toggle-arms.

K is fulcrumed to the lug F atone end, and at the other it is fulcrumed at K to the toggle-arm L, and the other end of the arm L is fulcrumed to a crank-pin L, which is upon a crank L fast to a shaft or pin H, as hereinafter explained.

J is a fiat bar, preferably of steel, having parallel grooves or slots J out upon both sides of it at a suitable angle, (preferably about thirty degrees,) these being shown more fully in Figs. 3 and 4. The bar J passes through the hub of wheel E and the shaft A in openings provided for the purpose, and also through the center of the bar D, which is made in two recessed parts for the purpose of receiving it. They are firmly bolted together by bolts D, the heads whereof are countersunk. The interior surfaces of the bar D where the bar J passes through it are also grooved or pro videdwith longitudinally-running lands D made to fit the grooves in the bar J, and of course they run on the same angle, and both the bar D and the bar J are confined within their respective holes, so that they can slide freely therein in the direction of their length, but not otherwise, the one at right angles to the other. Therefore endwise movement of the sliding bar D will, owing to the bearing of the sides of the groove J against the sides of the lands D cause a lateral projection or retraction of the connecting-bar J depending on the direction of such movement.

P is a steanrcylinder which is fixed to the bed-frame B, being supported therefrom by suitable side brackets P. The steam-cylinder P is controlled by a valve P of any preferred construction, and may be operated in any usual and convenient manner. Its purpose is to give endwise movement to the bar D, and its piston-rod P is connected to the end of the bar 1) by a cross-head R in sucha way that the barD can revolve with the shaft A, while the cylinder P, and consequently its piston-rod, does not so revolve. This is accomplished by making upon the end of the bar D a circumferential groove P which fits into a corresponding recess in the cross-head R. The cross-head R is made in halves for the purpose of being placed in position, and it is preferably arranged to slide on any suitable ways, which may be made upon I the brackets P.

M is a drum of the apparatus to which the invention may be applied, having a housing upon it, upon the periphery of which is a friction-surface upon which a frictionband 0 is adapted to take hold. The hous ing and drum are loose upon the shaft A, and the function of the apparatus is to. connect the wheel A with the housing by frictional contact, so that the :POWBI' may be transmit; ted and applied and released atwill. For

this purpose the band O is connected at one end to a fixed point-as, for instance, a pin in the lug G in the rim of the wheel Eand the other end of theband O is connected to a crank -arm Q, which is keyed upon the end of the steel pin or shaft H, passing through the hub'H. This steel pin, as already stated, has upon its opposite end a short crank-arm L to which the toggle L is connected. The up per end of the connecting-bar J ,isfulcrumed to the toggle K at K in this way it will be seen that by the movement of the bar. J the positionof the toggles K and L are changed, so] that they produce a tension on the end of the band. 0 through the medium of the short lever arms onthe pin H, before mentioned. The bandO ispreferably lined with wooden blocks S, which form a better bearingsurface than the metal and which are also slightly elastic. It, will be understood that as the togglesK and Lare acted upon by the bar-J and caused to come nearly in line with each other that the power of the end-thrust will be greatly .increased without requiringa correspending increase of power applied by the barJ, and, furthermore, that when the toggles arein line with each other that they have reached their maximum end-thrust and have no tendency to collapse and release the hand, because they are on the dead-center.

The action of the apparatus will now be clearly understood,'and is as follows: When it i s desired to apply friction, steam isadmittedsto the outer end of cylinder P, which creates anend movement of the piston, and,

i throughthepiston-rod,of the barD. Through the medium of the grooves and lands at the intersecting portions of the bars D and J the endlmovement of bar D is converted into a rectangular motion of bar J at right angles to the bar D,-as before described, the interlocking parts sliding upon each other, as in a screw-thread. The thrust of the bar J is applied tothe toggles K and L, and consequently,

owing to the rocking of the pin or shaft H and consequent movement of the crank-arm.

Q,-tigh tens the band 0, as already described, and creates a powerful frictional contact upon the exterior of the friction-surface O.

In a similar manner when it is desired to re- I therefore do not limit myself to the details.

I do not broadly claim the friction-clutch of the band type, as such is old; neither do I- elaim the combination of the housing end loose upon the shaft in connection with the spur-wheel E, for I am aware that they are not new; but

What I claim as my-invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,-is-

1. In a steam-operated,friction-clutch,-the combination, with a shaft upon which clutch mechanism is mounted and a steam-cylinder, piston, and piston-rod, of intermediate operating mechanism comprising two sliding-bars at right angles to each otherand respectively connected with said piston-rod and said clutch mechanism proper and working, re spectively, within and at right angles through but independently of saidfshaft'and having an oblique sliding friction connection the one withthe other, for the purpose set forth.

2. In asteam-operated friction-clutch, the combination, with a, shaft upon which the clutch mechanism proper is mounted, a steamcylinder, and a piston and piston-rod, of intermediate operating mechanism comprising a sliding bar connected at one end with the piston-rod and fitting within the said shaft, which'is' hollowed to receive it, another bar having one end connectedto the clutch mechanism proper and the other end extending through said shaft and sliding bar, and an oblique'tongue-and-groove sliding connection between saidbars, as setforth.

3. The combination of aclutch mechanism proper, a shaft, a steam-cylinder, asliding bar actuated thereby and. having end motion within the hollow of said shaft,-said bar having formed "upon it grooves and lands at a suitable angle relative to the axis of the bar, and another'bar also grooved to fit between the two halves of the bar D at about right angles with the same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of asteam-actuatecl sliding bar located within a shaft; andprovided with'inclined lands, a bar arranged at right angles to the sliding bar,;held against movement lengthwise of the shaft and p'rovided witlrgrooves and lands and attached at one end to toggles which are fastened to a wheel mounted upon the shaft and by which the friction device is actuated, for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination of two bars placed crosswise of each other and having interlocking surfaces arranged at angles to their respect- ITO grooved bar passing through slots in the shaft, the grooves upon the said bars engaging with each other at right angles within the shaft, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Bucyrus, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, this 15th day of August, A. D. 1891.

' ARTHUR W. ROBINSON.

\Vitnesses:

C. W. OVERTON, H. O. REINHART. 

